I am Semiahmoo, I am Survivor of the Flood – Fort Langley Exhibit

Fort Langley National Historic Site has launched a new exhibit in collaboration with Semiahmoo First Nation and Museum of Surrey called: Che’ Semiahmah-Sen, Che’ Shesh Whe Weleq-sen Si’am / (I am Semiahmoo, I am Survivor of the Flood).

Che’ Semiahmah-Sen, Che’ Shesh Whe Weleq-sen Si’am / (I am Semiahmoo, I am Survivor of the Flood)

• May 30 to End date: November 05, 2023
• Fort Langley National Historic Site
• General admission fees apply

At the opening event, Semiahmoo First Nation expressed appreciation to Kwantlen First Nation for welcoming the exhibit to the area. The exhibit was originally developed in partnership between the Museum of Surrey and Semiahmoo First Nation, and will be hosted in the upstairs area of the Big House throughout the summer.

“This exhibit started in partnership with the Museum of Surrey showcasing the Semiahmoo culture in a modern perspective. It highlights the history and oral history of the Semiahmoo people.”

– Chief Harley Chappell, Semiahmoo First Nation

Through the exhibit, the Semiahmoo First Nation people tell their story with a focus on their oral history, who they are as a people, and their place in the Lower Mainland. Visitors will take a journey focusing on Semiahmoo’s story as it relates to land and water, spoken from the traditional knowledge of the Nation’s Chief Harley Chappell. Throughout the exhibit, visitors can view cedar baskets, dioramas of reef net sites and summer villages, and items related to present-day Semiahmoo that will tell the story of the nation and its journey in the past and present.

This collaboration is an opportunity for Parks Canada to make space for Indigenous peoples’ histories, voices, and perspectives at Fort Langley National Historic Site, a commitment in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 79.

Fort Langley National Historic Site falls within the unceded, ancestral lands of the Kwantlen, Katzie, Semiahmoo, and Matsqui First Nations. This exhibit will provide context into how Fort Langley fits into the communities that have existed locally for thousands of years.